Election 2011 Prime Minister Debate

12/20/2011 5pm Pre Debate

"Portia vs Andrew tonight!
Debates Commission says all set for leadership debate

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

THE Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) says all is in place for tonight's leadership debate between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, the final before the December 29 general election.

The debate, which begins at 9:00 pm, will be held at the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, Mona before a studio audience of approximately 200 people made up of guests of the political parties, guests of the commission and the University of the West Indies.

"A dress rehearsal for the event was held early on Monday where television production, protocol, security and operational areas were checked and finalised," the JDC said yesterday.

For tonight's debate, there will be two questioners — Dionne Jackson-Miller of RJR and Franklin McKnight of IRIE FM/ZIP FM and the Northcoast Times. In place of a third questioner, independent members of the audience will be allowed to pose one in every three questions. The moderator is Dervan Malcolm of Power 106 FM.
The debate will focus on leadership issues which include matters of governance, a vision for the country, tackling corruption and economic development, among other areas.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Portia-vs-Andrew-tonight_10427205#ixzz1h6bWQ899


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X-1

The final debate is here 12/20/2011 9pm. Portia vs Andrew. Who will win the debate is a significant question, since polls and anecdotal reasoning have made an association/link between the 'undecided voter' and their eventual vote relative to the percieved winner of the debate.

The media states that the debate will focus on: leadership issues which include matters of governance, a vision for the country, tackling corruption and economic development.


Before I offer an apriori conjecture of who will come out ahead using the stated topic, let me first delve into a couple of variables to support my conjecture:


Variable 1

Education vs Experience

Most people will agree that the best employees have both education, training and experience. Are there advantages education has over experience. Absolutely. Experience over education. Absolutely.

Education means knowledge and experience means you know what to do with that knowledge. So with both, you’re perfect. However, this is relative.

Research as in recent "Center for Creative Leadership study" indicate that only 10 percent of the knowledge is needed to become an effective manager is learned in the classroom, the other 90% comes from elsewhere including experience, personality, support structure, network etc.



Variable # 2

The Female Factor

Obviously this debate will include a male and a female. This dynamic brings into play slippery slope social issue.

a) Portia broaches the slippery slope if she comes off as too pushy and demanding

b) Andrew broaches the slippery slope if he is percieved as disrespectful or condescending.

Any slippage by either party will affect the perception of the winner in the general public's eye.

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Now, I proffer the following results apriori regarding the debate on the following topics using variable 1 and 2 as a basic for my analysis.

1. leadership issues-Winner Portia

As the education variable cancels each other.Andrew is not substantially more educated than Portia. Both possess degrees which validates that they have experienced and achieved the convention of education at the College level.

Experience and training will enable Portia to 'outwomanneuver' Andrew in this area and finish a nod ahead of Andrew.

2. Governance-Winner Portia

As the education variable cancels each other. Andrew is not substantially more educated than Portia. Both possess degrees which validates that they have experienced and achieved the convention of education at the College level.

Experience and training will enable Portia to 'outwomanneuver' Andrew in the area of governance and finish a nod ahead of Andrew.


3. vision for the country-Winner Andrew
Andrew will benefit from the youth variable and this is an essential component when discussing vision

4. Tackling corruption-Winner Tie

Both are vulnerable in the area, however if Portia is skillful she maybe able to benefit from the newness of JNIP vs Trifuga. However, Andrew should be equally skillful to rebutt.

5. Economic development-Winner Tie

Both should be able to regurgitate their Manifesto, which due to debate format contains a certain level of rhetorical reasoning and should facilitate statement which will be left up to party interest interpretation as oppose to real material process discussion.

Overall, Portia should get the nod over Andrew in this debate as experience teaches wisdom and she possesses the greater level of experience. The question then will be: Does this performance transcend into actual votes?

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12/21/2011 Post Debate Analysis

Nationwide gives debate to Holness but says Portia gave creditable performance

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

LAST night’s political leadership debate was scored as a win for Prime Minister Andrew Holness by Nationwide Radio journalists Cliff Hughes and Damion Blake, while their colleague Emily Crooks opted to reserve her judgement on a victor until this morning, adding that the debate was anticlimatic.

However, all three agreed that Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller gave a creditable performance, even as they pointed to weaknesses in some of her answers to questions on tough issues.

“It was a spirited debate,” Hughes said in his post-debate discussion on Nationwide Radio, which broadcast the highly anticipated debate live. However, he said Holness won based on his command of the stage and the issues.

“I think the opposition leader more than held her own tonight. She was obviously well prepared. She came there with her notes. But the weaknesses did come through from time to time,” added Hughes, one of Jamaica’s most respected journalists.

He gave as an example Simpson Miller’s answer to a question on changing the Westminster system of government, saying that it “was reduced to real puff”.

Simpson Miller, in response to the question posed by a member of the audience, said she thought it was time for Jamaica to change the system so that we can have our own Jamaican queen.

Hughes, in his analysis, said that Holness lost an opportunity to score points in his rebuttal.

Hughes and Blake also said that Simpson Miller showed a lack of understanding of how international agreements really work when she said

that a Government led by her would renegotiate the IMF, JPS and JDIP

contracts in two weeks. The verdict is still out on whether the much-touted leadership debate between Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller and Prime Minister Andrew Holness lived up to expectations.

Already, some commentators, including callers to radio programmes held after the debate and persons who attended the debate at the Faculty of Law at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, are of the view that the showdown did not materialise.

Both Holness and Simpson Miller have also been accused of skirting some of the questions raised by journalists Franklin McKnight, Dionne Jackson-Miller, as well as from a select group of audience members.

In addition, there were very few instances in which either debater rigorously challenged the other’s position, as happened in the team debate, which featured young politicians from both parties as well as in the economic and financial debate between Finance Minister Audley Shaw.

However, all three gave her kudos for her response on the issue of homosexuals serving in the Cabinet.

Holness, to whom the question was posed, sought to sidestep it with a long answer. However, Simpson Miller said she would appoint people to her Cabinet based on their ability and would go as far as having the buggery law reviewed.

“One of the new things that came out was what I consider to be a substantial advancement of the PNP on the issue of homosexuality,” said Crooks. “For the first time I’ve heard a leader of the PNP saying 'I’m open to having people of whatever orientation depending on ability in my Cabinet and in fact I would have us look at the buggery law and ensure that people vote on their conscience in Parliament'.”

All three journalists, however, said they found the structure of the debate restrictive, as it did not allow the leaders enough time to answer questions fully.

“I think the Debates Commission is going to take a hit because the 60 minutes was awfully too limited for the leaders to go at it,” said Hughes. “You really needed 90 minutes, if not two hours to see who can stand up under the pressure, who can remain consistent, and to give them more time.”

He said that part of the difficulty was that the moderator, who is under instruction, had to keep on interrupting when Holness and Simpson Miller were not finished answering the questions posed to them.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Nationwide-gives-debate-to-Holness-but-says-Portia-gave-creditable-performance#ixzz1hD0kFntS


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X-1

The nod in a boring debate went to Ms. Portia Simpson Miller as predicted, mainly due to the experience factor.

1st Place: The Jamaica people for their participation via viewing and attention to this Leadership dabte.

2nd Place: Portia Simpson Miller

3rd Place: Andrew Holness

4th Place: The Debate Commission

The Prime Minister appeared timid, rudderless, evasive and contradictory for the 'Big Cat' thats in control. He did not 'tek it to Portia' like he does on the campaign trail.

In his opeing statement he declared that he is a post independence leader, but in response to a question he stated that Jamaica is not independent. Which is it Flippy or Floppy?

The Prime Minister was not able to slam dunk Ms Miller and could not live up to his hype. The PNP gained points from the debate while the JLP lost points. The bar was set too high for Prime Minister Holness and his inexperience was salient, his handlers did him a disservice. It appeared that over-confidence was a liability.